Deck 18: Developmental Assessment Throughout the Life Span

Question 1

What suggestions does the nurse make to parents to support the development of their 8-year-old child?

A) They buy the child a computer to foster a sense of self-worth.
B) The emphasis is placed on the importance of being a success at all costs.
C) The child is rewarded for cooperation and healthy competition with peers.
D) Social relationships outside the home are limited to one or two close friends.

Answer 1

The child is rewarded for cooperation and healthy competition with peers.

Question 2

Which behavior illustrates a developmental task for a "young-old" older adult?

A) Adapting to living alone
B) Adjusting to loss of physical strength, illness, and emotional stress
C) Managing leisure time
D) Accepting possible institutional living arrangements

Answer 2

Managing leisure time

Question 3

Which behavior indicates successful achievement of the major developmental tasks of a young adulthood?

A) Accepting physical changes
B) Achieving emotional independence
C) Mastering money management
D) Getting an appropriate education

Answer 3

Getting an appropriate education

Question 4

During a counseling session, which statement by an adolescent indicates he is adjusting to expected developmental tasks?

A) "I wish my parents would just leave me alone."
B) "I'm hoping to go to college."
C) "I don't have any friends."
D) "It's terrible being taller than all my friends."

Question 5

A nurse asks a 15-year-old boy to think of an explanation for a simple puzzle. When he is unable to come up with any answer at all, the nurse recognizes that he may not yet have successfully mastered which of Piaget's levels of cognitive development?

A) Sensorimotor
B) Preoperational
C) Concrete operations
D) Formal operations

Question 6

A nurse makes observations about a toddler's motor development. Which behavior is an example of fine motor behavior?

A) Sitting up in a chair
B) Walking while holding on to the edge of a table
C) Creeping up the stairs
D) Stacking blocks to make a tower

Question 7

A 7-month-old infant weighs 11.6 lb compared with a birth weight of 7.1 lb and has a head circumference of 19 inches. What does the nurse document about this infant?

A) Underweight and normal head circumference
B) Underweight and larger-than-normal head circumference
C) Overweight and smaller-than-normal head circumference
D) Normal weight and larger-than-normal head circumference

Question 8

A nurse recognizes that which patient has not yet successfully completed Erikson's final developmental stage?

A) A 78-year-old widower who has gone to the mental health clinic for counseling after the recent death of his wife
B) A 60-year-old man who tells the nurse that he is feeling fine and really does not need any help from anyone
C) An 81-year-old woman who states that she enjoys having her grandchildren visit but is usually glad when it is time for them to go home
D) A 75-year-old woman who tells the nurse that she wishes her friends were alive and she wishes she could change the choices she made over the years

Question 9

During middle adulthood, which immunization may be recommended?

A) PPV (pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine)
B) Hepatitis B virus vaccine, third dose
C) Human papillomavirus (HPV)
D) Td (tetanus and diphtheria toxoids)

Question 10

A parent tells the nurse about having difficulty disciplining a 5-year-old child. What characteristic does the nurse teach this parent to improve the discipline of this child?

A) Children at this age are incapable of delaying gratification.
B) At age 5 years, children are not interested in attaining rights and privileges of individuality.
C) Five-year-olds should demonstrate basic social skills and respond to others' expectations.
D) At age 5 years, children use highly inappropriate methods of expressing frustration.

Question 11

The parents of a toddler express concern that the child is not progressing the same way as their other children did at that age. What is the most appropriate suggestion the nurse can give the parents about monitoring the progress of the toddler?

A) Advising the parents to take the toddler to the clinic every 2 months for reevaluation
B) Teaching the parents how to use the Denver II test to assess for gross motor movement, language, fine motor movement, and personal-social skills
C) Suggesting that the child needs more time to reach the milestones and that additional monitoring is not necessary
D) Informing the parents about the ages and stages questionnaire (ASQ), which identifies developmental delays in children from 4 to 60 months

Question 12

A nurse is assessing a preschooler who is able to draw a three-part human figure, hop on one foot, and recognize three colors. The nurse recognizes these characteristics as consistent for what age?

A) 3 years old
B) 4 years old
C) 5 years old
D) 6 years old

Question 13

Which statement reflects a 21-year-old woman's achievement of an expected developmental task?

A) "I am planning to get married next year."
B) "I don't plan anything without asking my boyfriend first."
C) "I don't know which direction I'll take after college."
D) "I am living with my parents and may stay for a while."

Question 14

Which statement best illustrates Erikson's theory of development?

A) The main goal is to establish equilibrium between self and environment.
B) One progresses through stages that involve specific psychosocial tasks.
C) There are four distinct, sequential levels of cognitive development.
D) Cognitive development occurs from birth to around age 15.

Question 15

A nurse notices that an infant tries to reach for a toy that the mother has hidden in her hand. This illustrates that the child has developed an understanding of which concept?

A) Object permanence
B) Trust versus mistrust
C) Autonomy
D) Parallel play

Question 16

Which characteristics are expected during an assessment of a normal toddler?

A) Half of adult height achieved by age two, potbelly, and sway back
B) Thirty-two erupted teeth by age 2, tripled birth weight by age 30 months
C) Desire for autonomy coupled with sufficient judgment to ensure safety
D) Head circumference greater than chest circumference, high frustration tolerance

Question 17

When performing a physical assessment on a 7-month-old infant, the nurse notes that the child is able to smile responsively and unable to roll from the prone to the supine position. What is the most appropriate action for this nurse?

A) Reassure the parents that the infant is "performing like an 8-month-old."
B) Document the infant's growth and development as "within normal limits."
C) Continue to assess the infant for other signs of developmental delay.
D) Give the caretaker specific directions for specialized exercises.

Question 18

The parents of a 14-year-old boy express concern that their son's behavior ranges from clean-cut and personable to "grungy" and sullen. They have tried talking with him about this and have tried disciplining him, but he continues to show different sides, and they are confused. What is the nurse's assessment for the behavior of this teenager?

A) The teenager is dangerously labile.
B) This behavior is normal experimentation.
C) This boy is being rebelliously hostile.
D) This behavior may require hospitalization.

Question 19

Interviewing patients in middle adulthood, the nurse recognizes which behavior as an expected developmental task for this age group?

A) Finding meaning in life
B) Establishing autonomy as an individual
C) Increased self-understanding
D) Dissatisfaction with one's interpersonal relationships

Question 20

The mother of a 7-year-old boy takes him for a checkup at the local clinic. The nurse notes that the child has gained 4.9 lb and has grown 2.5 inches in 1 year. Based on these findings, what is the most appropriate action of this nurse?

A) Recommend that the child be placed on a low-fat, high-protein diet.
B) Counsel the mother to increase the amount of calcium in the child's diet.
C) Ask the mother to return with the child next week for a more comprehensive growth and development study.
D) Inform the mother that the child's developmental rate is within the expected ranges for his age.